Why was there a civil-rights movement in Northern Ireland?

On the 5th of October 1968 a relatively small crowd gathered in Derry to highlight civil rights injustices and civic concerns such as the lack of housing and unemployment by peacefully marching through the city. The march had been banned by the ruling unionist government and the marchers were brutally attacked by members of the RUC. The violence which met the 5th of october marchers was captured by the television cameras and its broadcast outraged British and world opinion. Northern Ireland had seen its October Revolution and its political landscape would never be the same again.

Dr Sarah Campbell

In a podcast for the History Hub.ie podcast series, Dr Sarah Campbell (Newcastle University) explores why there was a civil rights movement in Northern Ireland and why the movement occurred in the 1960′s and not before.

To subscribe to the History Hub.ie podcast series just follow the links below (iTunes/RSS).